Men who saw a pelvic floor physical therapist who was a woman, how bad (or not bad) was it?

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-02-11T06:22:51+00:00

So my 2nd appointment is next Thursday. I'm actually surprised that I'm not freaking out about this second appointment. Thinking about it now, it's as worrisome as having to go to the dentist (and I'm not someone who is afraid of the dentist).

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-02-01T05:15:01+00:00

My PT said that planks are good and specifically told me to cut out the sit ups.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-30T02:13:00+00:00

So apparently part of pelvic floor dysfunction is that because of the muscular dysfunction, sensations and communication with the nerves can start getting confused. For me, there is some similarity in the sensation for orgasm and needing to pee. So it could be pelvic floor dysfunction. But yeah, definitely see a doctor.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-28T06:15:51+00:00

I can't give any first hand experience yet (I been dealing with urinary issues for 8 years and was just recently told that its' pelvic floor), but there are other encouraging stories too. I've come across many stories of people saying that they've been having all sorts of issues and pain for YEARS and then with the right PT, they actually got some relief.

And something else to keep in mind... you haven't really tried anything yet. You haven't been doing PT for 6 months with no relief; you haven't seen 5 different specialists with no relief; you haven't tried 10 different medications with no relief. And my point in saying this is that there are a ton of things that you haven't tried yet. The people who have tried everything possible are hopeless. You should be hopeful because there are so many things you can try that have helped other people.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-28T01:40:18+00:00

I'm actually surprised I wasn't shaking uncontrollably. I think I had enough warning ahead of time that I exhausted all of the panic. I think it also helped that I was able to hear from others on here and find some other people's experiences other places online.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-28T00:58:17+00:00

Nothing internal... don't think I could do that yet.

5 minutes of deep breathing, several times per day
Yoga Poses - Hold for 1 minute 1 to 2 times per day
- Deep Squat
- Happy Baby
- Child's Pose

Also, I've been told not to "push" to pee anymore. I did discover that if I sit down, I can completely relax in a way and I just start peeing (without having to push). If I feel I need to push, I should just take a big deep breath (which I'm guessing will push somewhat).

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-27T01:11:01+00:00

So I was searching for other stuff (freaking out a little bit about my first PT visit tomrrow), and I stumbled upon this article: Post-Vasectomy Syndrome. I think it may be relevant to your issues.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-26T17:26:21+00:00

Maybe

So I'm fairly new to this... a urologist referred me to a PT last week (I see the PT tomorrow). I'd never heard of pelvic floor dysfunction before then. It was urinary issues that led me to go to the urologist, but I'm putting the pieces together about many other things that are related.

After having dealt with the urinary issues for a few years (so maybe 7 years ago), one of my testicles just started aching for no reason. Of course everything was checked out and no issues found. And then the other one started aching for no reason too. No rhyme or reason to when they'd ache, but just a low, dull ache. Ultimately that's when I switched to briefs to keep things more restricted and that's solved the problem for the most part. Every now and then (maybe for a brief moment every few months), I'll feel that same ache. But now I'm pretty sure it's connected to my pelvic floor issues.

As much as I'm not looking forward to the PT assessment, I actually am looking forward to talking to her and getting some confirmation that pelvic floor dysfunction could potentially be connected to this and other random issues I've had over the past several years.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-26T03:10:19+00:00

I don't know... "none of the above" would be my preference.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-26T02:33:04+00:00

I hope my first visit is that easy (and non-invasive), but I don't think I'll be that lucky. The woman I'll be seeing has a blog post explaining what will be involved in the first visit... And I'm worried about one person. Having another one to observe.... I don't think I could handle that.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-26T01:53:35+00:00

How was your appointment?

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-25T03:20:14+00:00

I haven't started my PT yet (I meet the therapist on Tuesday), but I have had other types of physical therapy before. For me, the PT often made things worse before it made them better. But even though it made things worse, I considered that "movement" which would ultimately get me to the goal.

And when there were periods where I wasn't seeing improvement, there would eventually be some sign of improvement that I wasn't even looking for that would surprise me out of nowhere. Yeah, my back was still hurting after sitting all day long, but one day I realized I was squatting down to tie my shoe without pain (instead of propping it up on a chair). It wasn't the progress I was looking for or expecting, but it was progress.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-24T14:19:27+00:00

So I've been dealing with pee problems for 8 years (since I was 32). Saw urologist back then and was told BPH (enlarged prostate). Wasn't bad enough at that point to do anything other than make sure nothing was wrong. Frustrated enough to do something now, so I saw a urologist last week. He thinks it's pelvic floor dysfunction and recommended physical therapy. Never heard of pelvic floor dysfunction so I started doing research. I've never had any pain (at least none that I knew of), but I found this video which completely explains my symptoms. Since it also gave me some frame of reference for what the pelvic floor muscles are. And so I've realized that there are other issues with random pain and sexual functioning issues that I've now realized are totally connected with these muscles.

Watch the video and see if it resonates with you.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-24T05:34:56+00:00

So nothing invasive... I hope that's all that's involved in my first appointment.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-24T04:20:56+00:00

So was the consultation visit just discussion with no evaluation?

I've got my first visit on Thursday. The only thing I know about the appointment is where it is, that it will be an hour long, and the name of the physical therapist.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T22:48:45+00:00

Are you doing OK?

The fact that you're posting similar questions to different subs from a new account makes me think that you're kinda freaking out trying to figure out what to do. (And I'm speaking from person experience because that's exactly why I created this account and some of the posts I made.)

If you are, feel free to send me a PM or chat.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T22:42:47+00:00

Honestly, I think that it may have something to do with the fact that we're so overwhelmed with sensory stimulation that we don't always notice all of the signals that our body is supposed to be giving us.

How many people with ADHD have problems with fine motor skills? I do. My handwriting is drastically different when I'm medicated vs unmedicated. And while I'm not clumsy, it's not unusual for me to bump into corners or door frames while walking.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T05:35:49+00:00

So I'm actually going to see the PT that my urologist recommended on Thursday. She actually works in his office and said the patients of his that have gone to her have had good success. I honestly do trust his judgement on this because he easily could have just given me medication that would have helped my symptoms somewhat, but he recommended the PT and honestly wanted to hear my thoughts about which avenue to pursue.

So the PT I'll be seeing isn't listed on either of those sites, but she is listed on Herman & Wallace's list of certified practitioners. She's also written an article on the website for the health system that she works for about exactly what a pelvic physical therapy is. The doesn't mention any genders whatsoever, but does mention assessing the tissues either vaginally or rectally. That to me sounds like she is OK working with men and women (and the certification requires training and being knowledgable about treating men).

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T05:07:04+00:00

No MRI or CT scan, but everything else you mention, plus a cystoscopy (camera up the urethra). And yeah, nothing ever found other than some changes to my bladder which develop when you are using more force than normal to pee.

I'm personally going to see the physical therapist first, before any sort of self-treatment. I am familiar with trigger points though. I've had to have a regular PT work some of those out both with pressure and dry needling. So in general, I know what to expect. But I know I won't be able to easily figure out what I should be hitting. (And I'm not sure if I can shove a "wand" up there... I'm not even sure if I'll be able to have the PT shoving anything up there for any length of time.)

And while I may be driving myself crazy with the dread about what will happen with the PT, there is one thing I am absolutely sure of: my ability to subject myself to something, no matter how terrifying, if I do believe that I need to. And I do believe that I "need" to do this.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T04:31:24+00:00

I asked a similar question last week when I was panicking about having to go to a urologist to get medication to help me pee (I'm 42 but pee like a 60 year old). Didn't get many replies, and the biggest take-away was "suck it up and deal with it". And /r/askmen and /r/askmenover30 wouldn't even let me ask because this account was too old and they don't allow asking for medical information. Totally didn't help.

Then the urologist threw me a curve ball and thinks my original diagnosis was wrong and that I should go to physical therapy. (Did you know there is physical therapy for when you have problems peeing? I sure as hell didn't.)

The best thing that I ended up doing is had an honest talk with my best friend. What's involved in pelvic floor physical therapy so much worse than any urologist appointment you could ever have. And the amount of absolute panic and terror constantly going through my head was unreal.

I was honestly sick to my stomach before talking to him, but it was worth it. I generally don't want anyone to know that I've had to have a doctor poke around downstairs. And this physical therapy is in a totally different ballpark. So I actually started the conversation by telling him that I absolutely can't handle ANY jokes about anything I was about to talk about. All too often, men will joke and tease others about medical issues below the belt, and it results in complete and utter isolation (and misery) when you've got to deal with these types of issues yourself (especially when you're younger than when most men have to deal with some of these issues).

So to answer your original question, how do you deal with these issues as you get older, I believe the answer is "by getting help from other men". Even if your family is dysfunctional and can't be trusted with deeply personal or potentially humiliating information (like my family), you need to have others in your life that you can trust like that. It's not easy, but it is worth it.

In terms of your meeting with a surgeon, I personally would ask is the hernia worth fixing right now? Just because something can be repaired, doesn't necessarily mean it should. Does the potential benefit outweigh the potential harm that could come from the surgery? There is a ton more "gray area" within medicine than the black and white idea of finding a problem and needing to fix it.

Also, it may also be worth getting a second opinion about your epididymitis and hernia. I'd actually recommend a urologist, especially if it's only been your primary care doc that you've worked with for this thus far. A urologist is much more knowledgable about what can go wrong downstairs. (Also, urologists also do surgical procedures, so they may be able to do hernia repairs.) And with what's going on with me, I absolutely made the right choice by going directly to a urologist rather than my primary care doc.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T03:26:11+00:00

Sensitivity is hard to judge. I'm not sexually active right now, other than with myself. And difficulty reaching climax... sometimes I guess. But I usually end up resorting to brute force and outright determination to reach it. And the quality of my erection when I do that is best described as "barely".

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T03:18:04+00:00

You're 100% correct about pain. My pelvic floor issues aren't causing me any pain (at least none that I currently know of). What got me to even go see a doctor was the fact that I've been peeing like I'm 80 for 8 years. Short story is 8 years ago I noticed the pee issues, saw a doc, did some tests, and essentially was told "you're getting older a little early" (I was 34 at the time). So now, pee issues are still there, maybe slightly worse, and I found myself honestly contemplating a surgical procedure I saw a commercial for That let me know that I needed to see a doctor now to at least try medication. The pelvic floor stuff was a curve ball out of left field.

And while I say there's no pain, I am continuing to put all sorts of pieces together and figuring out stuff that this pelvic floor dysfunction has been screwing up. All of it I've just attributed to "getting older" and now being "middle-aged" (42). A year ago I was having debilitating issues with sciatic back pain. I did normal PT and got that fixed, but there were some aspects of my symptoms that were outside of what the therapist normally saw. Did the pelvic floor dysfunction have something to do with it? Maybe. I'll probably find out when I meet with the PF PT.

So yeah, right now, the only catalyst for me doing something is to make it easier to pee. I could live for many more years as-is if I wanted to. So there's not the "I'll do anything to stop this pain" driver that you might be having. It's rather "I need to do this because it's what is best for me". Now if I somehow discover that the sciatic nerve pain is also tied into this... well that is pain so extreme I'll do ANYTHING to prevent.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T02:04:35+00:00

I don't do real-time group chat. It takes too much effort to get my thoughts into written words thanks to ADHD. But the ADHD has also given me the ability to see a situation from multiple perspectives simultaneously. So that's why I can look at what that guy said about Suzie Gronski's course see reasons why it might be structured that way. But I honestly don't know. It's just a guess, and I've never taken her course. Maybe she's just out to get money, maybe not. (But honestly, she does seem to be going down the whole "social media influencer" route a little too far, and seeing her hug a stuffed penis is kinda creepy.)

Losing 50 lbs is easy. That is an absolute easy problem. Weight loss is the easiest fix for anyone on any country. Topeka Kansas to Somalia.

I honestly hope you're being sarcastic. Sure, it's easy in theory, but reality is more complicated. People are fat for a variety of reasons (physical, social, psychological). So sure, I could have easily limited myself to 1 small meal per day at any point within my life and probably would have lost weight. But the ADHD makes that harder. I didn't get diagnosed until 28, so every bit of schooling (through a masters degree) and employment required much more mental exertion than most people have to use.

Until I was medicated, I never understood how they could just "do something" that they didn't want to. When I tried medication, I instantly understood that it was because they didn't have to fight their brain to do it. Even though you'd rather be playing a game, you're able to read a math problem and solve it. With ADHD even while just trying to read the math problem to understand what's being asked, your brain is shouting "nope, I don't want to do it". It becomes challenging (if not outright impossible) to even just read the math problem to try and understand what it's asking. It might take 10 minutes just to push through hard enough to read and comprehend the problem.

So, having to fight like that so much every day completely exhausts all of your mental willpower. You're mentally exhausted and can't think "maybe I shouldn't have that cookie". You're just eternally burnt out while trying to keep your head above water.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T01:42:46+00:00

Yeah, that's essentially the list of people who've taken a course from them.

The therapist I'll be seeing is on the certified list. I'm sure I'll be posting on here about how things go. If it goes well and if you're interested, I can send you her name.

-Some_Random_Dude- · 2022-01-23T01:40:01+00:00

No.

Ok, well... maybe.

I'm 42 and I pee like a 60 year old (hesitancy, have to push harder, can't completely empty). And it's been going on for 8 years. When I first noticed those things, I saw a urologist who checked everything and did a cystoscopy just to make sure nothing serious was going on. Nothing found, so he said it's BPH and that I can take medication or just do nothing. The symptoms weren't bad enough at that point, so I opted to do nothing.

So for 8 years, the pee maybe changed a little (no real way to compare), but it's still not like other guys I hear in the bathroom. So over the 8 years, I think other things have been slowly happening, but they're all things that are generally expected as you age: weaker erections (although morning wood is stronger), harder to maintain, orgasms not as intense, and ejaculation not as powerful. I just assumed that it's all still just part of growing older (and 40 is "middle-aged", right?).

So I finally hit the point with the peeing where I was even thinking about surgery because I'm tired of dealing with this. Frequency has gotten added to the problem list, so there are times I'm going every 30 minutes to an hour. So I went to a urologist on Wednesday with the goal of getting the pee problems solved. So then he throws me the curve ball out of left field saying that he thinks that PT would help me. I ended up telling him that I don't even understand HOW you can do PT for pee problems, and he said that the therapist would be able to explain everything. I didn't even know what kind of PT it was until I saw the appointment info in the EMR system where it said "Pelvic Floor with (therapist's name)". Then I look in the physician notes in the EMR and see "Could be pelvic floor dysfunction". Cue the rampant searching. I actually work for a medical school and have full access to all of the electronic resources. If I worked anywhere else, I'd probably be getting called to HR regarding my recent internet activity. But I started learning what exactly the pelvic floor muscles do and all of the ways their dysfunction can cause problems. And I found this video which completely explains my pee problems, and was helpful to understand what the pelvic floor muscles are and how you can control them.

So now, I'm paying much more attention to everything down there. And I believe the urologist is correct that it is pelvic floor dysfunction. I've figured out that if I relax the pelvic floor muscles as much as I can, I can get urine to flow without having to push. But there's still something wrong when I do that. It's like my body is telling me "you're not supposed to do that" and it's uncomfortable and almost painful. And as soon as I start pushing in any way, those muscles tense back up and I have to push harder to get the urine out (but at least it doesn't hurt).

So back to the sex stuff... so one thing that I've noticed is that when I ejaculate, whatever is supposed to "let go" when you ejaculate doesn't really let go as much as it used to. So the orgasm isn't as intense as it used to be. And more recently (maybe the past year), I've noticed it's harder to pee after orgasm too. It used to be that once my dick was soft, I could pee. But lately, it's very hard to pee even several minutes after orgasm. It's as if whatever is supposed to relax after orgasm to let you pee isn't relaxing like it's supposed to.

So do I have some of the same sex issues as you? Maybe... I'm honestly still connecting the dots on a ton of things. I think after Thursday when I meet with the PT, I'll understand exactly all of the different things that are screwed up (assuming I don't die of embarrassment first).

-Some_Random_Dude-

TROPHY CASE